


a snowfall kind of love

by jynladyofstardust



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas Vacation, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Happy Ending, M/M, Sharing a Bed, Snowball Fight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 19:14:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21903691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jynladyofstardust/pseuds/jynladyofstardust
Summary: Going on vacation with Bucky was something Steve usually looked forward to. Only this time, he had to open his mouth and accidentally admit his feelings for his best friend in what he deemed a terrible lapse of judgement.Featuring warm meals, snowball fights, and a cozy cabin with only one bed. And maybe a confession or two.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 14
Kudos: 116
Collections: SVBB & MRBB Secret Santa 2019





	a snowfall kind of love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [HeyBoy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeyBoy/gifts).



> Title from [Snowfall by Ingrid Michaelson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjZJ__LysvM), a song I just recently discovered and what might have become one of my new favorites. 
> 
> Merry Christmas HeyBoy! I hope you like it!

Steve barely restrained a sigh of relief as he and Bucky pulled up to the cabin they were staying at. Not only because the snow was starting to fall, bringing worsening driving conditions as the drive wore on, but because things had been tense between him and Bucky for the last quarter of the car ride. It was just supposed to be a fun trip celebrating finals being over and them being on holiday break, it wasn’t supposed to be this awkward.

Steve blamed himself really, he shouldn’t have said what he did. He just blurted out his feelings for Bucky right in the middle of the gas station. All because Bucky looked so damn cute with snow flecks in his long dark hair and and his lips were so red…

He shook his head. Now was not the time to get lost in his thoughts like. _That_ was how he’d ended up in this situation in the first place. Well, that and Natasha and Sam, his supposed friends, bailing the last second, claiming they each, separately, had last minute emergencies they just couldn’t leave behind.

Steve was broken from his brooding by Bucky clearing his throat. “Well, we’re here. You gonna sit here and freeze, or you wanna go inside and have some of the hot chocolate I brought from home? Ma’s special blend.”

Steve glanced over at Bucky, a little surprised. This was the first thing he’d said since Steve’d stuck his foot in it. But he wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth; if Bucky wanted to smooth things over like nothing happened, Steve could play along— he was fine with that. “Yeah, hot chocolate sounds great.”

Bucky smiled and unclipped his seatbelt. “Well then, let’s go. Last one inside has to cook dinner.”

Steve laughed as he rushed to follow Bucky, racing each other to reach the trunk of the car to grab his bags and quickly but carefully make his way to the front door of the cabin, beating Bucky by a hair.

“I let you win, Rogers,” Bucky said with a small smirk. “Because I’ve had your cooking, and I’d rather be able to taste my food.”

Steve let out a surprised laugh. “I forget the salt _one time_.”

“Sure, tell yourself that, just one time,” he snarked back as he took the key from his pocket and unlocked the door. 

The cabin was as cozy as Natasha and Sam had described to them. Clearly the caretaker of the property had been by earlier in the day to make sure the place was ready to receive visitors. The fire burned merrily in the fireplace, and while the living room and kitchen areas were small, it was in a more comfortable than claustrophobic way. 

Steve made his way to the door he was sure held the bedroom and opened it only to stop in his tracks. The room itself was just as inoffensive and perfectly normal as the rest of the cabin, except for one detail. 

There was only one bed.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Somehow, Bucky didn’t seem quite so bothered by that detail as he looked in after Steve. 

“You scared me, I thought you found the secret murder room or something,” Bucky joked with a small nudge to Steve’s shoulder.

“Yeah, but—” Steve started to say before Bucky interrupted him.

“Steve, we’ve shared a bed before. Quite a lot, if I recall correctly.”

Steve took a deep breath. He knew Bucky was good at compartmentalizing things when he wanted to, but Steve wasn’t like that. “Yeah, but—”

“And don’t even try to say you’ll sleep on the couch. I think only a five-year-old could fit on that thing comfortably.”

“Maybe _me_ at five,” Steve conceded. He’d been a small and sickly child before puberty hit and brought a much-needed growth spurt with it. “You were too tall at that age to fit.”

“Exactly. So it’s settled. We’ll share the bed. Now, put the bags down and come help me find where everything is in the kitchen so we can get started.”

“ _We_? I thought you were cooking, I distinctly remember something about me and bland, flavorless food.”

“I’m cooking, you’re helping. And maybe if you pay attention, I can teach you something.”

“Ha, ha, ha. Very funny,” Steve deadpanned as he set his bags down, avoiding eye contact with the bed as he followed Bucky out into the kitchen.

Whoever the caretaker for the cabin was had also taken great care to make sure the pantry and fridge were completely stocked with food, so Bucky got to work right away preparing a quick but hearty beef stew. Not two hours later they were sitting on the small table just off the kitchen enjoying the hot meal. 

“I thought stew took all day,” Steve marveled as he took another bite. 

“It does if you don’t know what you’re doing,” Bucky said as he ripped a piece of crust from the bread they’d found and dipped it in his bowl. “Lucky for you, I know what I’m doing.”

“Yeah, yeah. It tastes _all right_ , don’t get a big head about it.”

“You wound me,” Bucky said, a faux hurt expression crossing his face as he dramatically clutched at his chest. “See if I cook you waffles tomorrow morning.”

“Did I say all right? I meant this is the best tasting stew I’ve ever had. Might be the best stew in the history of stews.”

Bucky laughed and rolled his eyes. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”

Far too soon, their bowls were empty and the bread had been reduced to crumbs. They’d opted to leave the dishes for tomorrow since they were both exhausted from the long drive. Or, rather, Steve _had_ been exhausted before he remembered the rooming situation. Bucky, knowing Steve too well, clapped him on the shoulder and guided him into the room. 

“You take first shower, but don’t use up the hot water.”

Steve shot Bucky a glance. “I think your memory might be going, Buck. I’m not the one with the long hair that needs… how did you put it? Oh right, _meticulous care to keep it as shiny and luxurious looking as possible_.”

“Don’t know what you mean,” Bucky said with an innocent look on his face. “My hair just naturally looks like this.”

“Tell that to the five bottles of hair care products you brought along,” he said before closing the door to the bathroom.

Far too soon they were both done with their respective showers and getting settled into bed. Another blessing of the mysterious caretaker, they had plenty of blankets. So, under the guise of not being as cold as Bucky, he managed to snag a blanket to himself. He knew Bucky wasn’t fooled by it, but let Steve have this as he settled into a giant pile of blankets. 

Sleep blissfully took him, and he drifted off not long after his head hit the pillow.

  
  


* * *

  
  


As usual, Steve was up before Bucky. His heart froze for a second as he remembered where he was, and what had happened the day before. Then he realized he’d somehow joined Bucky under his blanket mountain, and Bucky was curled up around him, arm laying gently across his chest. 

Taking care not to wake Bucky, he gently extricated himself from his friend’s hold and slipped out of the bed. He pulled on a pair of thick pants and a warm jacket along with his scarf, gloves, and shoes before stepping outside.

What he found knocked the breath out of him. It was like a scene from a Christmas card, the snowstorm the night before had blanketed the ground and dusted the trees in white powder. Steve only saw snow this beautiful in Brooklyn during the first snowfall. The rest of the time it was always dingy and dirty. 

He took off a glove and reached down, wondering if the snow felt as soft as it looked. He was pleasantly surprised to find it was, with a texture not unlike really frozen flour, but with a hint of the ice it was supposed to be made up of. He walked around, taking in the beautiful morning atmosphere, wondering if he should go and grab his sketchbook to try to capture this moment, when something cold and wet hit the back of his head and snow fell down the back of his jacket.

Gasping in shock from the stinging cold of the snow hitting his skin, he turned quickly to find Bucky standing there, also wearing his warm winter clothes, bending down for another handful of snow, a wicked smile on his face.

“You sure you wanna do this, Buck?” Steve asked, trying his hardest to sound as serious as possible. 

Bucky’s smile just widened. “You mean beat you at a snowball fight? Oh yeah, I think I really wanna do this,” he said before he flung the handful of snow right into Steve’s face.

“Oh that’s it, you’re on,” Steve said as he grabbed a giant handful of his own and aimed it at Bucky’s chest, hitting him dead on as he bolted for the trees, looking for cover. Bucky shouted in surprise before giving chase.

What followed was the fiercest snowball fight Steve had ever taken part in. Steve had strategy on his side, but Bucky was like a shadow, even in the bright winter morning. Steve was proud he’d managed to corner Bucky between two fallen logs, but Bucky had taken his revenge by somehow ambushing him in the trees, raining snow down on him from above. 

The fight ended when Bucky tackled Steve onto the ground. They looked at each other for a second, Steve breathless not because of the running he’d been doing but because of that look in Bucky’s eyes. A look that said—

Bucky cupped Steve’s cheek with his hand, and before Steve could begin to process that, he leaned down and gently brushed their lips together before pulling back.

“Bucky?”

“Steve. I’m sorry I didn’t say anything yesterday when you told me you love me. I— I needed time to process. Not because what you said surprised me, you aren’t that subtle Rogers,” he smiled. “But because of how _I_ feel. I love you too, Steve. I have since we were teenagers. But,” he glanced away for a second and cleared his throat before turning back to Steve. “But I was scared. I don’t want to lose my best friend, Steve. I don’t know what I would do if you weren’t in my life. If— if _we_ didn’t work out.”

Steve smiled and cupped Bucky’s cheek in a mirror of Bucky. “I know. But, Bucky, no matter what happens, we’ll always be there for each other. I just know it. If— if you don’t want to try this, us, I understand—”

“I want to,” Bucky blurted. “I really, really want to. If you do?”

“I do,” Steve said, before flushing slightly, realizing how that had come out.

Bucky didn’t catch the slip. Or maybe he had, with how soft his eyes had gone before leaning down and finally giving Steve a proper kiss. 

He could have stayed there, lying in the snow, kissing Bucky for the rest of his life, he was so content and happy. But his stomach chose that moment to make itself known.

Bucky sat up and gave Steve an amused smile. “Ok, food now, more kissing later.”

He stood and held out a hand to help Steve up. “Sounds like a plan. Plus I remember something about chocolate chip waffles?”

“Oh, now they’re _chocolate chip_ waffles. I see how it is, Rogers. I’ll make the chocolate chip waffles but we get to go back out and make snow angels after,” Bucky bargained.

“Deal,” he said, sealing it with a kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Huge thanks to [mortenavida](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mortenavida) for beta reading this for me, and so very quickly! Also to Sable and Leah for helping to keep me sane as I kept signing up for way more than I should have. Love you guys <3


End file.
